The design for the sports hall was based on the winning entry in a competition held in 1960. The winning entry ‘Sateenkaari ‘ (Rainbow) was designed by Marjatta and Martti Jaatinen. The principal drawings and the building specifications were completed in 1968. Marjatta and Martti Jaatinen were assisted by Juhani Pallasmaa, Pekka Niemeläinen, Timo Laho, Pekka Voltti, Heikki Kaitera and Pekka Laaksonen. Kari Asikainen was in charge of the interior design. The opening ceremony was held on December 4th, 1971.

The roof is composed of three-jointed glued wood arches with a span of 85,2 metres. The distance between them is 4,5 metres and the highest point is 17,6 metres above the floor. The arches were manufactured at the Turku dockyard. Kupittaa Sports Hall was the first building in Finland that had the wooden arches as supporting structure. Corrugated sheet aluminium was used as the roofing material.

The hall floor was kept as free of stationary structures as possible so that the facilities could also be used for exhibitions, fairs and other similar functions. The stand was planned for 1000 people. The sports hall houses even a bowling alley, shooting range and two gyms, which are on the ground floor, below the main sports venue.